The present invention relates to labels, and more particularly to multiple-layer labels providing multiple print surfaces.
It is often necessary for manufacturers to provide a large amount of textual information--such as safety information, warnings, warranties, and use instructions--with products such as herbicides, pesticides, and cleaners. If the product container is large--as is typical when a product is sold for industrial use--then the manufacturer can simply apply to the product container a label large enough to include all the required informational text. However, numerous products are provided in relatively small containers for consumer use. In such case, the manufacturer cannot provide all of the informational text on a single print-surface label without shrinking the text font to an undesirably small size. Further, although the manufacturer can provide the textual information in printed material such as a booklet or folded sheet that is separate from the product packaging, the booklet or folded sheet can be easily lost or separated from the container. The consumer will then lack easy access to the safety and use information when using the product.
There have been several approaches to providing labels that have multiple print surfaces and that can be affixed to relatively small containers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,618 issued May 31, 1988 to Instance entitled "Labels and Manufacture Thereof" is exemplary of an "extended text" label. A longitudinal strip 4 is adhered to a top plastic sheet 28, which in turn, is adhesively hinged to a base sheet 26. (FIG. 3.) The longitudinal strip is folded to form several print surface panels 6, 8, 10, 12. A cut 32 in the top sheet forms the free outer edge 20, which a user lifts to open the label and extend the folded strip in order to read it. Several holes 22 in a portion of the longitudinal strip allow the adhesive on the rear surface of the top plastic sheet 28 to adhere to the base sheet 26 when the label is re-folded and closed. (FIG. 2.) However, the longitudinal strip when extended can be unwieldy and prone to tearing. Further, the exposed edges of the Instance extended text construction can wick water to ruin the enclosed print material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,878 issued Feb. 12, 1991 to Cowan entitled "Label Assembly with Removable Booklet" discloses a label assembly 10 incorporating a removable booklet 14. The booklet 14 is sandwiched within pocket 47 formed between over-laminate 16 and base sheet 12. When closed, over-laminate 16 is sealed around substantially the entire periphery of base label 12 to protect the booklet 14 before removal. Although Cowan provides a means for including a large amount of informational text with a product, the informational booklet can be lost or separated from the product container as soon as the label is opened and the booklet is removed.